The YAANW serves Yale alumni and friends in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Western Wisconsin.
New in town? Want to join? Email us. No contribution necessary (although we certainly welcome them!). You will be added to the membership list. And you are welcome to participate in all club events and activities.

We have a dedicated volunteer board which makes our many excellent programs happen – but, we rely on your continued contributions to support our work. We get no financial assistance from Yale University. With your financial gifts and volunteer assistance we are able to keep regional alumni connected and:

Host engaging programs on the economy, politics, the arts, sports, and Yale University.

Promoting and enhancing the reputation of Yale University in our region.

Assist area nonprofits and students by sponsoring Yale summer intern fellows, through the AYA Community Service Summer Fellowship Program as well as Bulldogs on the Lakes.

Interview more than 200 potential Yale College applicants and welcome new matriculants.

Encourage and acknowledge outstanding high school juniors in our region with Yale Book Awards.

Melanie Morrison (YDS ’78) has written a powerful book Murder on Shades Mountain: The Legal Lynching of Willie Peterson and the Struggle for Justice in Jim Crow Birmingham. Some YDS folks may remember her. She’ll talk about her book at an event on Wednesday, June 13, 7:00 p.m. at Spring House Ministry Center, 610 W. 28th Street (just off Lyndale). That’s a wonderful space recreated from what was once a single Lutheran church, now home to Salem Lutheran, Lyndale UCC and First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. More Info

Don’t forget about school! YAANW has several significant, ongoing school related projects: interviewing prospective students applying to Yale and volunteering at Webster Elementary. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

As we have done for decades, Yale alums—both undergraduate and graduate—interview high school applicants to Yale. Many of us participate. The ones who don’t voice common concerns: my student didn’t get accepted; I am a graduate student, what do I know. We provide a very important community relations service by our interviews—making Yale real to students, their families and the school counselors. And, our purpose is to evaluate students’ individual passion and motivation, not to sell the specifics of undergraduate life.

This is our second year of volunteering at Webster. Perhaps we are grooming that future Yale applicant. More importantly, we are giving back to a community that needs our view of the world. Webster is a diverse population; it cannot be gainsaid how important nurturing is in such a community.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating in either—or BOTH—of these wonderful opportunities

Thoughts from the President

Dear Bulldogs,
As our thoughts turn to Spring and renewal, I wanted to share the news of a few of our upcoming events.
One is the Day of Service which has become a fun way to volunteer, meet fellow Yalies, and enjoy a delicious lunch thanks to Nick Adams Johnson’s warm hospitality. Visit http://bit.ly/YAANW-dos18 to sign up! The non profits that host us are more than grateful for our work, and we strengthen the social compact with those in need.
The other event is the Book Award. Alums show up at high school award ceremonies all over the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin to present a book from the Yale Press to a deserving junior. Again, we build bridges to high schools, guidance counselors, parents and kids who may be prospective applicants. Sign up here.
Both of these quiet acts help to spread the legacy of learning and service that motivates and unites us.
Happy Spring!
Ken Freed
BA, English Lit, '83
MM, Violin Performance, '87
President, YAANW

People Serving PeopleAugust 25, 2018 at 11:30 am – 1:00 pm614 Third Street South Minneapolis, MN 55415If you are interested in joining us, please contact Ron Goldser at rgoldser@hotmail.com. More details can be found in the latest newsletter on https://yaanw.org/newsletter/newsletter/.

French TableSeptember 4, 2018 at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pmCave Vin, 5555 Xerxes Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410, USAOur new home is Cave Vin in Mpls. All levels of French are encouraged and welcome. RSVP to Ron Goldser at rgoldser@gmail.com.